Time to learn about your microbiome

They are separate but related things that are increasingly being mentioned by such renowned scientists as J. Craig Venter, a La Jolla geneticist, and Larry Smarr, a UC San Diego computer scientist. (Profile)

Venter announced last week that he has cofounded Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI), which will become the world's largest genome-sequencing company. In addition to sequencing, HLI will analyze the microbes in people's bodies -- the microbiome -- get a fuller look at a person's health. The microbiome has long been a focus of Smarr, a leader of the "quantified self" movement, whose supporters believe in measuring and studying many aspects of the body to identify potential problems.

Smarr explained the microbiome for us in a recent interview.

Q: When you ask most people about the microbiome, they say micro-what? In simple terms, what is it and why do we care?

A: The microbiome is the collection of microbes (mainly bacteria and viruses) that live on your body. Most of them are in your large intestine, but lots are in your mouth, on your skin, and other body cavities. Amazingly, there are ten times as many of these microbe cells as we have human cells in our body. Unlike bacteria and viruses that make us sick, almost all of these 100 trillion microbes provide critical services to us to keep us healthy. Essentially, each of us is a complex ecology, made of hundreds of species, one of which is human. We are a superorganism.

Q: Many people are struggling to understand the basics of genetics. Do you expect them to also wrap their head around the microbiome?

A: Genomics is the study of the DNA in our bodies. The genes are regions of DNA that can turn into proteins. Turns out that about 99% of the genes in the DNA in our superorganism reside inside of the microbes. So understanding our genomics requires us to understand the genomics of our microbiome.

Q: Is there a reason for people who feel healthy to have their microbiome analyzed? And what does that involve? Is it expensive?

A: It is useful to set up a baseline of your microbiome when you are healthy so you can compare the changes when you get sick or take antibiotics. Fortunately, the cost of genetic sequencing is vastly cheaper than it was in 2003 when the Human Genome Project was completed. Today, startups like www.ubiome.com can sequence your microbiome for under $100. They send you a kit and you just use a Q-tip to place samples in little vials which you then mail in.

Q: Many people cannot afford to have both their genome and their microbiome analyzed. Which is more important for the average person?

A: Through startups like 23andMe and ubiome key parts of your human and microbiome can be sequenced for less than $100 each. I think it is useful to do both. It is early days and I would mainly encourage those who are eager to be early adopters and learn more about how to quantify their bodies.

Q: You've had your own microbiome analyzed. Was it helpful? What did you learn?

A. I was astonished by what I found when I had my microbiome sequenced! The dominant types of bacteria in healthy people's gut was greatly reduced in me and in its place were rare bacteria that had "bloomed" to take their place. In particular, I found I had 150 times the E. coli that healthy people do. Over time, by following the changes in my microbiome ecology, I can see if various forms of therapy are improving my situation.